Black Rats / Roof Rats

The Roof Rats (Rattus rattus), also known as the Black rats, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent which is likely to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is now found worldwide.

They have black to light brown colour with a lighter underside. They are omnivore but also feed on wide range of agricultural crops.

A typical adult Roof rat is 12.75 to 18.25 cm long, not including a 15 to 22 cm tail, and weighs 75 to 230 g. They are smaller than brown rats. Their tail is slightly longer than their body.

It acts as a vector for many diseases because of its ability to hold so many infectious bacteria in its blood. In urban areas they are found around warehouses, residential buildings, and other human settlements.

In urban areas, they prefer to live in dry upper levels of buildings, so they are commonly found in wall cavities and false ceilings.